How to Clean My Electric Scooter

Have you been riding your electric scooter down the streets for a long while? If so, it’s time for a nice cleaning session to keep your scooter shiny and elegant. Luckily, all it takes is some tools and a few steps, and you’re good to go.

So read on to know how to clean your electric scooter properly!

The Short Answer

Cleaning your electric scooter won’t take you more than half an hour. You’ll merely rinse it with water, scrub it to get out the dirt and grime stains, then dry it properly with a towel. As a finishing touch, you can dry it again using a wet-dry vacuum cleaner and use scooter wax to give it a shine.

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Now that we’ve given you a broad idea about the process, it’s time to jump into more details!

Cleaning Your Electric Scooter: Step-By-Step Guide

Here are the steps you should follow in cleaning your electric scooter properly.

1. Know Your Scooter’s IP Rating

The IP rating of your electric scooter will let you know how resistant it is to liquids and other materials. It’s written in the format IPXX, with the two Xs being numbers. The last number shows how resistant your electric scooter is against water and other liquids. This rating is essential because it’ll let you know the best cleaning method for your scooter.

That said, your scooter might not have an IP rating. In this case, you should deal as if your vehicle isn’t resistant to liquids. As a result, you’ll have to pay more attention while cleaning it with water and avoid using hoses or high-pressure guns.

Generally, IP ratings of five and more show good resistance to water, including strong jets. But it’s highly advisable to use powerful water jets on your scooter only if it has a rating of six or more.

2. Prepare Your Cleaning Tools

After knowing your IP rating, the first step you should take is to gather your cleaning tools. You’ll need a sponge, a microfiber towel, a small brush or a toothbrush, a clean towel, and soap. Ideally, the soap should be specific to electric vehicles, which you can find in any store. Finally, you’ll need either a hose if available or a bucket filled with water.

3. Unplug the Scooter and Cover the Charging Port

Although it’s crucial, many people forget about unplugging their scooter before cleaning it. If you forget to do so, you risk electrical shocks and permanent damage to your electric vehicle.

In addition, before letting the water touch your scooter, you should cover your battery charging port to protect it. You can wrap a plastic bag around the whole battery compartment or use any other waterproof material. This will eliminate unnecessary risks to your charging port.

It’s also worth mentioning that you should never clean your scooter while it’s hot. Whether the high temperature is from riding it recently or leaving it in the sun for a long while, you should wait for it to cool down.

4. Rinse Your Electric Scooter

As a result of riding it a lot, your scooter will probably have dust all over it. To remove the dust without getting your scooter dirtier than it is, you should rinse it with water before adding soap. And don’t forget to rinse off the wheels along with the scooter’s body. If dirt accumulates around the tires, it can affect the traction significantly.

As for the controllers, LCD, and handles, you should use your microfiber towel and wipe them gently with water.

5. Scrub Your Scooter

After rinsing your electric scooter, some stubborn dirt will stay behind. The only solution is to scrub it with a sponge using soap and water. But to maintain the scooter’s paint and not damage it, it’ll be best if you purchase a specific automotive cleaner. It’ll clean the dirt and grime without causing your scooter’s paint to fade.

That said, using the sponge won’t help you clean the entire scooter. For example, some areas are more challenging to reach than others, like the handles. This is when the toothbrush comes in handy. It’s ideal for scrubbing because of its tough bristles and will give you shiny results in no time.

6. Rinse the Soap off Your Scooter

When soap dries, it leaves apparent, unattractive spots on the scooter’s body. To prevent this, you should rinse the soap off your electric scooter right after scrubbing it with a sponge. You can either use a hose here or pour water from a bucket over the scooter’s body.

7. Dry Your Scooter Properly

You can’t ride your scooter before drying it properly. To do so, you’ll need a big towel and patience. It’s crucial to dry the area around your scooter’s battery if any water gets there. Also, you should pay attention to the tires.

There’s a trick you can try out here to make the process easier for you. If you have a wet-dry vacuum cleaner, you can use it to dry all the parts of your electric scooter. However, be careful not to scratch your scooter’s body by letting it come in contact with the cleaner while drying.

You’ll especially appreciate this trick when drying the screws, the holes, and any other tiny parts that the towel doesn’t reach.

The most important part here is to use a wet-dry vacuum cleaner only, not a normal one. You might damage your cleaner if you do so as it isn’t supposed to vacuum water.

Many people use blow dryers to dry their scooters; however, it’s entirely wrong. The heat from the blow dryer can cause the water to steam and go inside your scooter’s parts, which might lead to corrosion over time.

8. Use Scooter Wax

To leave your electric scooter all shiny and clean and protect its paint from fading, you should use scooter wax. All you have to do is apply a thin coat over the entire body, and you’re good to go.

Frequently Asked Questions

How Often Should I Wash My Scooter?

If you ride it frequently, you should clean it about once a week or so. If you don’t ride it as much, you should clean it once it looks dusty or dirty.

How Can I Extend My Electric Scooter’s Life?

You should clean and inspect it regularly to see if it needs maintenance. Also, it’d help if you didn’t let your battery die frequently. You should always charge it before it dies. Finally, you shouldn’t exceed the weight limit or ride the scooter on steep hills.

To Wrap Up

Electric scooters are fun to ride, but they need frequent maintenance and cleaning to keep them alive. If you decide on washing your vehicle, you should first check the IP rating, prepare your tools, and unplug the scooter from charging. Then, you can start rinsing and scrubbing.

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